[JohnDeereAndChevorlet]

Anyone have any knowledge on swapping one of these engines.



A little information about me and my truck:

My truck is a 2002 Silverado 5.3 Vin T. The truck is around 300,000 miles and in excellent shape (not much rust) being in the south, and a few minor scratches here and there from being a commercial used work truck. This truck has been my baby in our family business and I earn my living with this truck so I want to keep it reliable. I have no intentions to get rid of it, nor sell it as it has been probably the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned, is easy to work on, and I absolutely enjoy it. It has been maintained by the book on everything from engine oil, coolant, 4x4 differential fluids/transfer case fluids, transmission fluid, coolant flushes yearly, etc. The truck also has new brakes, tires, a whole new Moog Front end, new shocks all the way around, with a rebuilt transmission, hence another reason I don't want to get rid of it. With a side note*, the truck is hooked up to a trailer 5-6 days a week and pulls daily, although it only pulls about 1/3rd of it's towing capacity, I would enjoy a bit more power, but don't want to go over board and sacrifice reliability or fuel cost.


My thoughts:

I know with this many miles it's getting tired and I can feel it on a day to day basis. My fuel mileage has dropped, my pulling power has felt like it has gone down a bit.

I'm looking to drop a GM Good Wrench 5.3 High Output engine with a GM Reman Transmission, both backed by the GM Warranty. I chose the 5.3 High Output, because our 5.3 has showed excellent mpg over the years and has a decent amount of power for what it gets used for, in other words it gets the job done while remaining efficient. We're going the new route, 6.0's are 5k+ range for a (GM REMAN). Race and Stroker engines an over-kill for our company truck. The 5.3 H.O. seems like a fine balance between Reliability, Cost, Power, and Efficiency.


My questions:

1. Will the 5.3 High Output bolt right in and replace a 2002 5.3 Vin T?

2. Will I need to swap the Intake Manifold over?

3. Any other parts that I should add on externally to keep the truck reliable? The H.O. motor comes with a new factory water pump and we will already be installing new hoses everywhere.


I look forward to hearing the knowledge! Thank you to everyone who shares their knowledge!

 

[Csanders1992]

If I were you I'd do a 6.0/4l80 swap. It'll be more reliable and you won't loose much fuel milage. You'll also gain more power which will make it better suited for towing


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[JohnDeereAndChevorlet]

If I were you I'd do a 6.0/4l80 swap. It'll be more reliable and you won't loose much fuel milage. You'll also gain more power which will make it better suited for towing


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I appreciate the response. I was highly considering this, but it's been a rough winter and I'm trying to budget the money and consider future expenses. The mileage might not be too bad with the 6.0, but when our 5.3 was new we were bringing in 17-18 mpg on average commutes towing down the tollway. The 6.0 might not be too much worse, I'm estimating around 12 mpg, and while 5 mpg difference doesn't seem like much it jacks expenses through the roof when I run numbers for daily commutes. I've had a 6.0 in the past and it was an awesome engine don't get me wrong, but the 5.3 has been great to us. I've never felt like it was under-powered for the light towing we do with the exception when the miles went over the 250k range. I suppose I had tad loss on the compression side. Either way, to this day it still pulls what we pull without hesitating or struggling at all. So I feel there's no need to go bigger if what we have does the job easily.

The 5.3 High Output is also a brand new assembly, with the exception the High Output will give 20 extra horsepower or so to make the engine even more enjoyable while remaining efficient.


My reason for posting, although I do respect your opinion and words and appreciate them greatly, I want to know if this 5.3 H.O. will bolt right up in place of the Vin T. Tuning isn't a concern as I have a great tuner within five minutes from the drive-way.

 

[86mcss]

Yes the 5.3 HO motor will bolt into your truck. The only concern I would have is if the crate motor comes with a reluctor wheel. If not you would have to swap it over from your old motor to your new motor. There are two different reluctor wheels so if the crate motor does come with one make sure it is the correct one for your truck.

You have a very good plan on what you want to do and I would stick with it. Like you said you want better mileage and more power but not an insane amount of extra power and a fresh motor would fit the bill for you.

The only piece of advise I could give you is getting a better than factory transmission. Certain companies make different "levels" of transmissions. I would get a transmission that is stronger and has better internals than stock. Anyone who has a GM transmission go out on, I always recommend they have a better than stock transmission built for themselves. Especially someone like you who plans to keep the truck for the long haul.

 

[JohnDeereAndChevorlet]

Yes the 5.3 HO motor will bolt into your truck. The only concern I would have is if the crate motor comes with a reluctor wheel. If not you would have to swap it over from your old motor to your new motor. There are two different reluctor wheels so if the crate motor does come with one make sure it is the correct one for your truck.

You have a very good plan on what you want to do and I would stick with it. Like you said you want better mileage and more power but not an insane amount of extra power and a fresh motor would fit the bill for you.

The only piece of advise I could give you is getting a better than factory transmission. Certain companies make different "levels" of transmissions. I would get a transmission that is stronger and has better internals than stock. Anyone who has a GM transmission go out on, I always recommend they have a better than stock transmission built for themselves. Especially someone like you who plans to keep the truck for the long haul.

86, I appreciate your words and advice. When I was looking into the details and researching the engine I recall reading several times that the 5.3 H.O. includes a 24x reluctor wheel. I'm pretty sure that's what my Vin T has if I'm not mistaking, right?

As for the transmission, I was kind of on the bridge about that. I had my transmission rebuilt that's in there now. It finally went at 270,000+ mile range. The only issue is when they rebuilt it, I asked them to throw a rear main seal on there while they were there, which they agreed to do. I got the truck back after the rebuild, still dripping oil all around the bell housing. I winded up pulling the transmission out in the driveway on a free weekend to find an old leaky seal that looked like it had never been replaced. I replaced the whole cover, gasket, and seal and the leak was gone. Which concerns me with rebuilt transmissions from local guys. I honestly just moved here and don't know who to trust around here. I figure if I went with GM, I would get a good warranty that they would honor, I would know I'm getting a decent quality built transmission. My plan was to Get the GM Goodwrench Transmission and throw a shift kit and a cooler on there when assembling.

I know what you mean by having it rebuilt better than factory. I was looking at the "Monster Kits" not rebuilt by them, but just the kits. They have the Raybestos clutches, Shift Kits, Vette Cervo, etc. If I could only find a builder that I trusted, I wouldn't mind going that route. What would you say would be a fair price for a "right" rebuild labor only if I supplied the parts?

 

[JohnDeereAndChevorlet]

The Jasper does sound nice for about $900.00 more than a GM Built Tranny. They want $2,100.00 for a 4l60 and here's what you get supposedly:



Updates: *** IMPORTANT INSTALLATION INFORMATION ***
If the transmission has been replaced before, cooler fittings may
vary and will need to match original OE size. If has been changed
from the OE, the smaller 1/4 fitting part number is 24205102 and the
larger 9/16 fitting part number is 24236579.
***************************************************************
4L60E Product Updates
SHIFT CONCERN UPDATES
1) New boost valve and sleeve are installed in the transmission pump
to prevent slippage under heavy throttle and delayed reverse
engagement.
2) To also help prevent slow reverse engagement the low/reverse
checkball is removed since this part is prone to wear leading to
reverse engagement issues.
3) Modified pump slide with spacer are used to apply more consistent
pressure which in turn prevents gear slippage.
4) All individual valve body circuits are tested for accuracy and
pressure. This testing ensures that proper pressure is achieved to
prevent slipped clutches, 2-4 band failure and soft lock up which can
be caused by improper pressures.
5) The TCC Control Valve, TCC Regulator valve and the Actuator Feed
Limit are replaced and the bores are reamed because these high wear
areas can lead to shifting problems as well as soft or no lock up
conditions.
6) The forward and reverse abuse plugs in the valve body are
replaced to prevent cross leaks that can lead to delayed reverse
engagement, 3-2 shift tie up and 3-4 clutch failure.
7) New Pressure Switch Manifold is installed because this part
cannot be properly cleaned. This part ensure no wrong gear starts,
and delayed engagements.
8) New Pressure Control Solenoids are used to prevent high or low
pressure issues which can lead to harsh or soft shifts.
QUALITY & DURABILITY UPDATES
1) The latest design sun shell is installed. This design is more
durable than the original design which could sometimes break and lead
to no reverse or loss of 2nd or 4th gear.
2) The return springs in the 3-4 clutch are removed and the exhaust
port in the separator plate is enlarged which helps prevent 3-4
clutch failure.
3) The torque converter is remanufactured using a state-of-the-art
converter aligner/welder which holds converter runout to even tighter
tolerances than OE. This prevents pump bushing wear and front seal
leaks caused by converter vibration.
4) High energy 2-4 band is used which absorbs more heat and has
greater durability than a standard band.
5) High energy 3-4 clutch pack and increased lined clutch and steel
plates (from 6 to 7) are used for increased torque capacity which
prevents premature clutch failure.
6) Aluminum 1-2 accumulator pistons are used instead of the OE
plastic pistons which were prone to breaking. This stronger piston
prevents piston breaking which can cause low fluid pressure and burnt
clutches.
7) All new pump and case bushings are used which helps prevent loss
of fluid pressure and in turn clutch failure.
8) VEHICLES PRODUCED AFTER APRIL 1, 2005 MUST USE DEXRON VI FLUID OR
WARRANTY WILL BE VOID.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
Electrical connector protector plate must be removed and returned
with core. Heat shield must be reinstalled to prevent electrical
connector seal from failing.

All GM vehicles produced after April 1, 2005 must use DEXRON VI fluid
or warranty will be void. If vehicle was produced prior to April 1,
2005 DEXRON III is acceptable to use as a fill. DEXRON VI can be used
in all applications as it replaces DEXRON III.

Do not use Teflon tape on the cooler fittings as it will crack the
case. Use a liquid sealer.

If the transmission has been replaced before, cooler fittings may
vary and will need to match original OE size. If has been changed
from the OE, the smaller 1/4 fitting part number is 24205102 and the
larger 9/16 fitting part number is 24236579.
As you are well aware, the fluid cooler system is critical to the proper
and warrantable service of your JASPER Transmission. Because you are
inspecting and servicing the fluid cooler system during installation,
it is your responsibility to verify the system is free of contamination
and has proper cooler flow.
In order of preference, here are some options to ensure proper flow.

1. REPLACE WITH A NEW SYSTEM (RADIATOR): Check flow to assure lines are
clear. Check for proper operation of the checkvalve, where applicable.
There are special applications where JASPER requires cooler replacement.
For these cases JASPER provides a cooler kit with the unit. Installation
of the cooler is MANDATORY on these applications or warranty may be void.
2. REPLACE WITH AN EXTERNAL SYSTEM: On applications where air flow
could be restricted, a cooler fan would be required or the installation
of an oil-to-coolant style system
3. FLUSH THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM: JASPER recommends hydraulic shock flushers,
with the heated models being the preferred option. In all cases, always
flow-test at operating temperature. Compare the volume exiting the
transmission to the volume where it returns to the transmission to verify no
loss of flow.
NOTE: JASPER does NOT consider Flush in a Can effective and therefore
not an acceptable method of flushing.

Notes: Product summary: Unit is an electrically controlled 4 speed automatic with overdrive. The ID number is stamped in the pan rail on the bottom of case between the oil pan and extension housing. The electrical connector is located on the right rear corner of the case. Has 16 pan bolts.

 

[86mcss]

I used a local builder back when I had my 60e rebuilt. He builds race transmissions for single digit dragsters and told me my new 60e was "bullet proof". Never had a problem with it.

With me installing the transmission I believe the total was around $2k.

I have read many good things about jasper transmissions. Maybe search around and see what other companies also have great reviews for maybe a better price.

 

[JohnDeereAndChevorlet]

I used a local builder back when I had my 60e rebuilt. He builds race transmissions for single digit dragsters and told me my new 60e was "bullet proof". Never had a problem with it.

With me installing the transmission I believe the total was around $2k.

I have read many good things about jasper transmissions. Maybe search around and see what other companies also have great reviews for maybe a better price.

Too bad your not near me, I would defiantly like to take a visit to the place and talk to the guy that rebuilt yours. I came to conclusion long ago, I got highway robbed on my transmission, paid $2,500.00 just because of the time and situation being stuck out of a state with a 14 foot trailer behind me. This place according to Google on my phone, was the only one around of five that could get me towed and my trailer taken care of for the time being, while also fixing the transmission. I came to conclusion afterwards, they offer "free towing" for a reason. Their website sucks in all the people that have a surprise transmission problem and leaves them stranded and then all of a sudden, sure we'll tow you, take care of your trailer, where are you? Now your total is..... $$$$. Do you want your ride back? I gave them what they asked, even after I asked them to put the rear main seal in and paid an extra $100.00 for, and then got it back to the seal not being replaced.

I'm glad you found a good shop though, they are out there, just hard to find sometimes, especially when trying to rush and get something done. I plan to do this swap before I have to worry about being in that situation again though.